13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there. 14 A God-fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying. 15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
Acts 16:13-15
Lydia: A Bigger Story
At NorthStar, we just launched a sermon series called ECHOES: Stories Worth Retelling, where we look at lesser-known characters in Scripture who played a role in God's redemptive plan! This week, we are going to dig deeper into the life of Lydia, as recorded in Acts 16:11-15, 40. Lydia (Λυδία, Lydia) of Thyatria is a wealthy, God-fearing Gentile who is reported as the first Christian in Europe. Further, her house appears to have been a meeting place for the Philippian Church. (Lexham Bible Dictionary) Lydia's name appears only twice in the library of Scripture: Acts 16:14, which describes her conversion and baptism, and Acts 16:40, which highlights her home as the gathering place of the local church. While Lydia's story is limited in detail (and we do not know a lot about her), what is evident is that her individual story is wrapped up in God's big story. The Bible is 66 Books, but it tells one story of God's providence, redemptive love, and presence. This "big story" is referred to as the "Meta-Narrative." This meta-narrative is the overarching story that Scripture records as history unfolds. While we believe this is the one and true story, there are many competing and counterfeit "stories" that we can buy into. For example, the story of "self-fulfillment," which tells us that our aim is to do what we want, when we want, whenever we want in order to be happy. Or the story of consumerism, which tells us that we can buy, eat, and drink our way to happiness. Or the story of religion, that says if we do this, don't do that, then this God will finally be pleased with us.As followers of Jesus, we believe that there is only one true story, the story of the one true and living God who created us to know Him and make Him known. Each of our individual lives will be incomplete and unsatisfied until we live into the true story of the world! Lydia of Thyatira lived into this story. While her name is only mentioned twice in our sacred text, her life is a picture of partnering with God in His purposes on earth.Today, here are a couple of questions to ask yourself:
- What story are you living into? The story of Scripture? Or an alternative narrative?
- How can you live into the story of Scripture today?
May we partner with God in His purposes and live into a story bigger than ourselves.
